/composer
John Power is a versatile artist, excelling in singing, songwriting, and composition.
In 1992, my role shifted from being a bass player in the La’s to creating Cast. I was in a state of bliss, discovering my talents as a songwriter and still maintaining my idealistic and somewhat naive mindset. It was a time when I believed that I could compose a song that would resonate with people and become the soundtrack to their lives. Before coming across the chorus of Walkaway in my childhood bedroom at my parents’ house, I had already written five songs for Cast’s first album, All Change. I picked up my guitar, strummed along, and let my hand follow the melody of my vocals. Suddenly, it hit me: “Wow, this is something special, and I can’t quite explain how I managed to create it.”
Walkaway contains a descending major scale that is present in many renowned classical pieces, soul songs, and even the Beatles’ “Dear Prudence.” This cascading scale serves as a hallmark for songwriters, as it can be found in numerous works but never sounds identical. Initially, Walkaway had a 1950s soul vibe – I was unaware of my ability to hit such high notes – but eventually, it was adjusted to a lower key.
The song talks about the feeling of needing to move on from a place or situation because you have done all you can and it is unjust to yourself to stay. There have been instances in my life where others have questioned my choices. While there may have been sorrow in leaving the La’s, I do not believe Walkaway was solely about me. Once the song is heard and taken on by listeners, it transforms into something beyond my own experience and takes on a life of its own.
I frequently witness fans becoming emotional or showing affection while listening to it. Some individuals have shared with me that they realized they needed to end their relationship after hearing it. Life can be harsh and cause heartbreak. However, I sing the lyrics “You never lose your dreams” with genuine belief, especially now. When you make the choice to leave a difficult circumstance, you have a blank slate before you and the opportunity to reinvent yourself.
We captured the sound at the Manor Studio alongside John Leckie, the expansive living studio where Tubular Bells was created. For the guitar solo, my goal was to create a shattered starlight effect. In order to achieve this, we incorporated strings as the scale descended.
During the time when Walkaway was played over footage of the England football team’s loss in Euro 96, Cast was touring in the US, preventing me from experiencing the widespread excitement in the country. Many individuals have a memorable tale of how they were devastated and the whole nation mourned, with Walkaway being the soundtrack – yet I unfortunately missed out on it.
I stopped singing Walkaway for a long time because I lost my passion for the person I was when I wrote those early songs. However, upon revisiting them, they no longer feel outdated. They now feel relevant to the present moment. When we perform Walkaway, time seems to stand still and all that exists is the now. Unless, of course, you are still struggling to let go of Euro 96.
Liam ‘Skin’ Tyson, guitar
I met John while he was in the band La’s and I had previously seen Cast when they were just starting out. They performed a song called Sandstorm and while the band wasn’t anything special, it was clear that John had great songs. When I joined, we rehearsed Walkaway and it really came to life when we recorded it at Manor Studio. We may have racked up a hefty wine bill, but we were committed to recording all day and into the late hours. The studio was rumored to be haunted and we all had some strange experiences. I had the largest room in the building, with a view of the lawn, and someone claimed to have seen me sitting in a chair outside – but it wasn’t me.
We utilized a Leslie cabinet for the guitar portions. In hindsight, the tone evokes memories of The Hollies’ song “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother.” During the introduction, I played some fingerpicked harmonics, although I was unaware of their technical name at the time- it was simply a desired sound.
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John desired the guitar solo to resemble a piece from Captain Beefheart’s Bluejeans & Moonbeams album. The solo consists of simple pentatonic blues notes, but since I am not performing in a blues style, it lacks the desired sound. When playing it, one can get lost in the music without overthinking, finishing with a feeling of satisfaction.
The song “Walkaway” has a sorrowful tone, yet it also provides a sense of resilience. It leaves you feeling inspired. Unfortunately, it was played at both John’s father’s and my grandfather’s funerals. They had both requested for the guitar solo to be played, as it was their preferred piece of music.
Creating the Walkaway music video was not an enjoyable experience for me. It seemed like it was meant to resemble an opium den or similar setting – I had to recline on a couch wearing a red crushed velvet suit while the director filled the room with incense. There was even a canary in a cage next to me, and at one point I requested for it to be removed because I could sense its distress.
I recall us driving to a concert at the Charlotte venue in Leicester, filling up our small red van nicknamed “the cat”, and suddenly hearing ourselves being played on the radio. This marked the end of our performances on the pub scene, as our popularity skyrocketed afterwards.
Source: theguardian.com
